Senate moves for Lovelace Hall improvements

By Scout on February 25, 2011

A Student Senate resolution proposing renovations be made to Lovelace and Elmwood Hall before next semester will be presented to the General Assembly on Monday.

Singles Complex, College Hall and Student Apartment Complex Senator Iván González-Giménez said after hearing no response from administration and seeing little change in Lovelace after an article was published in the Feb. 14 issue of the Scout, he decided to write a resolution.

“There weren’t many improvements made to Lovelace after the article,” he said. “They restocked the vending machines, repaired the hand rails, which are loose again, and fixed some heating vents. My position is to be a senator but I feel that I am doing someone else’s job of a facility manager. I feel that if I don’t bring attention to it now, no one else will.”

González-Giménez said he describes the resolution, called the Singles Complex Renovation Resolution as “humble and basic,” and he said it would be a miracle if the administration looked at it and took it seriously.

“The resolution points out basic human needs that any building should have,” he said. “I am hoping the administration will expand on this resolution and that this is only the beginning and that they will continue upkeep with the building.”

The resolution proposes several changes be made to singles before the start of the 2011 fall term, including: the installation of new carpet, repainting of walls, maintenance to air-conditioning units and new furniture and mattresses to replace decomposing and broken furnishings.

“Let say tomorrow there is an earthquake,” González-Giménez said. “Singles wouldn’t be able to take it, it is not in good condition. Some residents said there was a bulldozer next to Geisert over the winter and the [whole building of Lovelace shook].”

González-Giménez decided to write the resolution because he didn’t have faith the administration would hear him.

Once Senate passes the resolution, Vice President of Student Affairs Alan Galsky will present it to the administration. He said there is a possibility the concerns stated in the resolution can be addressed over the summer.

“We have a plan this summer and we only have so much money but we will look at the resolution seriously,” he said. “We are contemplating a major renovation of Heitz hall and that is a major undertaking. Depending on the cost factor, if the proposed renovations are financially feasible, and if we have enough people working, it might be possible that some work on the [singles complexes] could be done this summer.”